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Dutchess_III's avatar

Should I say something to my ex-employers?

Asked by Dutchess_III (47069points) March 11th, 2014

It’s a looong story, so I’ll keep it to the point.
I was hospitalized for 2 weeks in November 2012. I actually went into some sort of unexplained coma for about 3 days too.
My husband was sharing all of the details with my boss. All on her own, before she even saw me or talked to me after I got out, she came to the conclusion that I had suffered some sort of permanent brain damage. I hadn’t.

My first day back she might as well have sent me an email telling me I was going to be fired eventually. She treated me as if I’d gone full on retarded.

I think she thought it would be easy to fire me. She could just say I didn’t know how to do the job any more. But I did.

She wrote me up twice, for really trivial things. Had a meeting with her and her boss where she aired her complaints.

That was just a stop gap. Wrote me up a second time. The thing is, her biggest complaint was that I was doing things that she had specifically told me to do.

Also, she came up with a couple of other things that I didn’t hear about until I was actually IN the 2nd meeting. She was complaining about a form I used that I had been using for 3 years! Apparently she didn’t want me using that form, but she never said any thing about it before then. The only clue I had was that a couple of weeks earlier she asked if I got my blank forms off of the shared drive.
I said, “Yes, of course.”
She didn’t say anything more, until the meeting.

She complained because I had misspelled a student’s name as “Tamantha.” When I said that’s how the student’s name WAS spelled, she just hushed me.

Every time I tried to defend myself she would shut me down.

I was fired on April 1st. It’s coming up. I haven’t said anything to my other boss or HR because I wanted to be sure I didn’t mess up my unemployment, but the unfairness of it all just BUGS me. I want to send them an email that will prove that her biggest complaint was about something she’d told me to do! And all the trivial shit she practically made up out of thin air!

It was like a witch hunt. Like I was completely set up. I still don’t know why. All I can figure is she set her self on a course of action and just blindly followed through with it.

All of my previous employee evaluations, which she did, up until I went in the hospital were great.

What do you think their reaction might be if I did this?

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16 Answers

Juels's avatar

I doubt they will help you. If I were you, I would contact the EEOC.

rojo's avatar

I think what you encountered was a case of the stigma attached and discrimination suffered by those with mental difficulties. Even though you did not have them you were still tarred with the same brush. Evidently in her world any injury/hospitalization that has to do with the head automatically indicated a mental handicap and you are a potential threat or hazard.

Sorry you had this happen. Hope you can nail her hide to a wall.

I have to agree with @Juels. It sounds like her boss did not want to take any chances either so you probably won’t do any good. But it might be good to scare the crap out of them with threats of lawsuits for discrimination.

Dutchess_III's avatar

I was finally able to get a hold of a lawyer about it. Sent him the 22 pages I had sent to the unemployment folks. He just acknowledged it was a bad deal, but Kansas is an at will state. They can fire for any reason, or for no reason at all.

rojo's avatar

Sounds like we need to revisit that Slogans for Kansas thread.

Dutchess_III's avatar

On top of THAT her daughter now has my job and that girl doesn’t even have a degree in education. I do. I just don’t know how people so blatantly get away with stuff like that.

1TubeGuru's avatar

I would take all of the documentation that you have on the matter and consult with the the best Lawyer in your area. if the Lawyer feels that you have a solid case I would file a lawsuit against both the hospital and the supervisors involved in your firing.

Dutchess_III's avatar

I feel a little better just talking it over with you guys. I’m just really looking for some…sort of apology from them. Some acknowledgement. Which I know they can’t give.

@1TubeGuru I did. Said I had no case.
But what would I sue the hospital for? They saved my life.

creative1's avatar

I know in MA that you only have 300 days in which to do anything in regards to suing someone based on discrimination which is what I believe happened to you. I would contact someone to consult in your state or location on discrimination and what the statute of limitations is. If its still possible I would sue them.

GloPro's avatar

“Life becomes easier when you learn to accept an apology you never got.” – unknown
@Dutchess_III I shared a similar story about being fired for medical assumptions/needs about a week ago. I understand that you feel the need to prove (to whom?) that your firing was unjust and that you are a quality employee. But please ask yourself what is in it for you. It has almost been a year and I promise your soul is better off away from toxic bullshit like that. Suing, chasing explanations or apologies, or trying to explain the injustice of it all will not bring you anything but disappointment. You will not get the reactions you want, and those expectations will only hurt your feelings. I would let it go and walk away. Forgive them for you, not for them, and move on. You will be happier once you can quit analyzing moments long past.
Think of it like an ex-boyfriend. Would you be chasing these emotional closure needs with a man after a year, or would you hold your head up high and let a wonderful life after him be your best revenge? Perception is reality, and the last perception I would want to leave is one of a person who just can’t let go when everyone else has. They don’t, and won’t ever, realize what they are missing out on. Fuck ‘em.

rojo's avatar

“Toxic Bullshit” Good name for a rock band.

livelaughlove21's avatar

I was fired on April 1st.

Of 2013? Well, I’d assume so, since April 1st of 2014 has yet to occur. Why say anything to them at all? If you want to get them for discrimination or wrongful termination of employment, you don’t go directly to them. And since, like you said, they could legally fire you for any reason, it seems getting them on any legal charges is out of the question as well.

You’re no longer employed there. I’m failing to see what good it will do to shoot them an email complaining that you were wrongfully fired a year ago. Will it make you feel better? If so, go for it, but I wouldn’t expect a response. I’m not convinced they’d even read it once they realized what it was. They’ll probably brush it off as some childish whining about something that happened too long ago for them to even care.

Sorry that happened to you, and it sucks, but it’s business. Personal feelings don’t really matter when it comes down to it.

Dutchess_III's avatar

@livelaughlove21 If you’d read the other posts you’ll see that I already spoke to an attorney. Because Kansas is an at will state I have no case. I agree that it was discrimination, but I guess it was as cut and dried as he would have liked.

I also noted that it would have just given me some closure to one of the most painful and unjust things that have ever happened to me. I said above I’d just like some sort of acknowledgement. But I know I’ll never get it.

I feel better having just vented to you guys though. Thanks for the kind words.

livelaughlove21's avatar

@Dutchess_III _ If you’d read the other posts you’ll see that I already spoke to an attorney. Because Kansas is an at will state I have no case._

I did read it. Which is why I said this:

And since, like you said, they could legally fire you for any reason, it seems getting them on any legal charges is out of the question as well.

Dutchess_III's avatar

I’m not looking to get them on any legal charge. If I was, it would be pretty stupid of me to give them a heads up, wouldn’t it.

herculies's avatar

I was accused of having brain damage by a pretty girl in a club after I asked her ifshe knew how to install hardwood floors!

DUH… if I didn’t have brain damage I would do the floors myself.

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